Countries are imposing new COVID-19 measures on travelers from the following countries: China International travel will resume.
So far, the EU, France, Italy and Spain have announced tightening rules for travelers from China in response to rising cases.
Italy was the first EU member state to tighten restrictions, ordering COVID-19 antigen swabs and virus sequencing for all travelers coming from China, the health minister announced last month.
Spain It became the second country in Europe to announce COVID restrictions for travelers from China. Travelers from China must provide proof of negative test results or vaccinations.
After first saying there was no need to tighten border controls, France announced that from January 5, all travelers coming from China will be required to undergo a negative PCR test or antigen test within 48 hours before boarding.
Belgian mayors have also called on tourists entering from China to reintroduce COVID checks.The government on Monday tested wastewater from planes arriving from China as part of new steps against the spread of the coronavirus announced that it will test for the new COVID variant.
An EU-wide decision on the issue has not yet been taken and negotiations are expected to continue on Wednesday 4 January. Given the virus’s surge in China, EU health chief Stella Kyriakides calls for immediate expansion of genome sequencing of COVID-19 infections and monitoring of wastewater, including airports, to detect new subspecies. proposed.
of UK U-turned on its original statement that it had no plans to bring back COVID-19 testing for people arriving from China. , the health ministry said on Friday.
China has applauded the targeted immigration restrictions as unscientific and unreasonable.Mao Ning, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, threatened on Tuesday, saying the country “resolutely opposes such practices”. Retaliation.
What other countries have introduced COVID restrictions for arrivals from China?
Others, Australia, Canada, IndiaIsrael, Malaysia, Morocco, Qatar, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States have introduced additional COVID measures for arrivals from China.
After initially saying it would not reintroduce testing, Australia announced that travelers arriving from China would be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test from 5 January.
air travelers to Canada Ottawa said travelers from China must test negative for COVID-19 at least two days before departure.
India includes China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and sea breamPassengers from these countries will be quarantined if they show symptoms or test positive.
Israel’s newly appointed Health Minister Arieh Deli has announced new COVID-19 testing requirements for travelers from China, according to the Times of Israel.
Malaysia has implemented additional tracking and monitoring measures. All incoming travelers will be screened for fever and wastewater from aircraft arriving from China will be tested for her COVID-19.
Morocco From January 3, all nationalities are prohibited from arriving from China.
Qatar Beginning January 3, travelers arriving from China will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 48 hours of departure, state news agency QNA said.
Japan said travelers from China must test negative for COVID-19 upon arrival, and those who test positive must undergo a week of quarantine. Tokyo also plans to limit airlines flying more flights to China.
Korea has introduced an on-arrival PCR test for people coming from China. From 5 January, the country will also require a negative test result within 48 hours or a rapid antigen test within 24 hours before departure. Short-term visas for Chinese nationals are also restricted.
On-arrival PCR testing has been introduced for all passengers on direct flights from China to Taiwan and on boats on two offshore islands.
The Philippines is also considering imposing tests and stepping up surveillance of symptomatic passengers coming from China.
U.S. officials have also stepped up controls, citing concerns about a “lack of transparent data.” BeijingBeginning January 5, all air passengers aged 2 years and older must have a negative test result at least 2 days prior to departure from China, Hong Kong or Macau.
Why are countries concerned about travelers from China?
In recent weeks, China has rapidly eased strict restrictions COVID rules amidst civil unrest. The sudden policy change has reportedly overwhelmed the health system as the virus spread with little control.
China, with a population of 1.4 billion, reported three new COVID-related deaths on Tuesday, up from one on Monday. However, these figures are inconsistent with funeral home reports and the experience of countries with much smaller populations. resumed.
“There is growing concern in the international community about the ongoing situation. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infectious disease) Surge in China and lack of transparent data, including genome sequence data for viruses reported from China [People’s Republic of China]’, a U.S. official said in December.
In Italy, Milan’s main airport, Malpensa Airport, has already begun testing passengers arriving from Beijing and Shanghai on December 26, resulting in almost one in two passengers being infected. was shown.
What are the rules for people traveling to China?
China announced in December that it would lift quarantine requirements for inbound travelers from 8 January.We will resume issuing visa For Residents traveling abroad.
This is a big step towards easing border restrictions that have been largely closed since 2020. Rules have been gradually relaxed in recent weeks to facilitate domestic and international travel.
Hong Kong also said it would scrap most of the rest COVID restrictions.
Online searches for flights from China surged from very low levels in December, but residents Travel agency Due to the current level of vigilance, it suggests it will still take a few months for things to return to something like normal.
